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Study Skills, Applied Academics, and Transition
Study skills are "tools employed when the learner wishes to apply useful hints, tips, or strategies to complete specific or assigned tasks more effectively" (Polloway, Patton, Serna, & Bailey, 2018). Study skills are an incredibly important thing to master before students go on to higher education or jobs later in life. Study skills help students with learning disabilities master skills like listening, time management, note taking, test taking, organization, and locating important life information. Skills like listening can be learned through direct instruction and note taking through effective teaching and modeling of note taking. Some people argue that the IEP should contain effective study skills usage. Functional competence is the "ability to deal effectively with the demands of everyday life at any stage of adulthood and requires three key components; knowledge acquisition, the development of relevant skill sets, and the intelligent application of knowledge and skills to specific situations within certain settings" (Polloway, Patton, Serna, & Bailey, 2018). The ability to function in every day life and apply the skills one has learned to a situation is an important part of adulthood. This is where independence levels come in. Students need to be taught to use different skills that will pertain to their life moving forward. Preparation for these skills need to be put in place so that students can practice these skills before adulthood. The preparation of these learned skills should be put into place early on in education so there is sufficient time to practice and master these skills. Some of these functional skill can include * reading and understanding newspapers * reading signs * reading a job application * comparing prices * registering to vote * understanding transportation routes * personal hygiene and self care * writing notes or messages This chart discusses the different study skills and how they relate to learners with disabilities. Functional Academic Areas: Functional Reading: areas of reading used in everyday situations * Reading tax related documents * Reading a menu at a restaurant * Understanding an employee handbook Functional Writing: writing demands used in everyday situations * Taking a phone message * Writing an email to a coworker * Writing directions to a locations Functional Math: focuses on money management, time, weight, temperature, etc. * Paying bills * Budgeting * Using an ATM * Earning a paycheck * Housing * Owning a vehicle * Buying and preparing food Functional Science: science and how it relates to everyday life * Knowing first aid * Knowing to stay away from dangerous chemicals * Treating illnesses * Keeping one's self healthy Functional Social Studies: relates to community involvement and citizenship * Knowing one's legal rights * Using community services * Understanding accommodations in the workplace * Understanding transportation and geography Transition Planning Process: # Individualization: the teachers need to speak with the students about what their hopes and dreams are. This will give students a direction to move in and give teachers a framework for instruction. # Determination of preferences, interest, and strengths: one can use the transition planning inventory to understand what students want to be able to find out their strengths. # Transition Needs Assessment: assessments need to be comprehensive to make sure that needs are met. # Transition Planning: teaching of knowledge and skills, link to support and services, summary of performance for students who are leaving school Transition from High School: * Career choice and Planning: know about jobs and how to get one * Employment knowledge and skills: knows how to change jobs, performs specific and general skills related to their job * Further education and training: knows about further development after high school, has skills to be successful, * Formal plan that is part of the IEP * Functional communication: is able to read, write, listen, and speak * Self-determination: understands strengths and weaknesses, able to plan and set goals, be in charge of his or her own life * Independent living: gained skills related to everyday life, uses current technology, can solve everyday problems * Personal money management: can buy everyday items, can maintain accounts, budget, pay bills * Community involvement: can use services and resources in the community, can use local transportation * Leisure activities: can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, can engage in various types of entertainment * Health: can stay physically healthy, can stay emotionally and mentally healthy, knowledge of appropriate sexual behavior * Interpersonal relationships: can interact appropriately with others, can make and keep friends, can deal with conflict, can make a good parent * Appropriate goals * Transition services based on student's individual needs * Documentation that the student has been informed of his/her rights at least one year before adulthood (Polloway, Patton, Serna, & Bailey, 2018)